Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 October 2023
25. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice who is responsible for Garda recruitment; if it is outsourced; if intake targets have been provided and met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43953/23]
View answerThe unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána in 2023 and 2024, up 23 per cent since 2020, demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring the organisation has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work.
The Public Appointments Service (PAS) manages the initial recruitment stages for selection of Garda trainees, including interviews, on behalf of the Garda Commissioner. The final stages of the recruitment process, during which candidates must be vetted, complete a physical competency test and a medical examination, are overseen by Garda HR.
The budget provided to An Garda Síochána in recent years supports the recruitment of Garda members and staff. Following the temporary closure of the Garda College during Covid, this year has seen a return to significant levels of recruitment with three new classes of Garda recruits to date having started in the Garda College in Templemore, comprising 135 trainees in February, another 154 in May and a class of 174, the largest class since Covid, at the end of July. Another new class will enter the college next Monday 16 October, with another class due in December, putting An Garda Síochána on-track to recruit between 700 and 800 new recruits into the college in 2023.
111 new Gardaí have attested so far this year and another 470 are in active training. The next attestation is due to take place this Friday, and I look forward to marking the attestation of approximately 125 new Gardaí .
While the Garda Commissioner and his team are responsible for recruitment, I regularly engage with them to monitor progress. As of the end of August 2023, there were 13,910 Garda members across the country. This represents an increase of almost 9% since 2015 when there were 12,816 Garda members throughout the country. These Gardaí work alongside 3,147 Garda staff, which is over 50% more than the number of staff in 2015. The Government is committed to reaching its current targets of 15,000 Gardaí and 4,000 Garda staff and further increases beyond that will be considered in due course.
There has been a high level of interest in the recent recruitment campaigns which reflects the enduring attraction of a career as a Garda. Almost 5000 people applied for the most recent 2023 campaign which is in line with the level of interest in 2019, the last pre-COVID recruitment campaign.
I can assure the Deputy that there is extensive engagement between my Department, An Garda Síochána, and the Public Appointments Service (PAS) with a view to ensuring that Garda recruitment campaigns succeed in attracting a range of diverse and well qualified candidates.
